A typical Edmonton alleyway becomes a cozy venue for local jazz musicians. A balcony that’s just a balcony the other 362 days of the year turns into a stage for an Italian opera singer. A lamppost converts into a canvas on which community artists go wild. And a patch of grass hosts tipis, campfires, and Indigenous artists for the weekend.
“People don’t even recognize 118 Avenue,” says Christy Morin, executive director for Arts on the Ave, who runs the Kaleido Family Arts Festival. “It takes a lot of thinking outside of normal logistics.”
The festival, which celebrates its 19th birthday this year, runs along 118th Avenue from 90th to 95th Streets and goes from Sept. 13 to 15. This year’s theme continues the festival’s “heartbeat” motif and is called Hearts a Meltin’, which Morin says is about finding togetherness.
Along with artworks and artists, the festival will host groups like the Misery Mountain Boys, a ‘30s and ‘40s speakeasy swing band, the eclectic roots band Passin’ Through, afro-fusion aficionados, Melafrique and over a dozen more.
While it’s quite an operation that involves 14 venues and 450 volunteers, and closes off the whole street, the festival is completely free to anyone who wants to come by, thanks to funding by a mix of grants and donations.
“We call ourselves a radically open arts festival that doesn’t have a gate and doesn’t have a ticket,” says Morin, who helped start the festival after having lived in the neighbourhood for about a decade.
Back then, Morin says she knew the community had a lot of “dark shadows” and stigma which carried over from the ‘80s. But she also knew the neighbourhood was packed with artists of all kinds.
“We fell in love with the little shops where you can buy salsas, you can buy Portuguese tarts, French bread,” Morin says.
In fact, when she and her husband first moved to Alberta Avenue, the plan was to flip the house, sell it, and move back to the south side.
“As things would have it, we decided to stay, and our family has grown. I’m expecting my little grandson at the end of October.”
Collide with Kaleido Family Arts Festival from Sept. 13 to 15 on Alberta Avenue.
